Crossing the border with Blue Jays beat reporter Jordan Bastian.

Game 147: Toronto at Tampa Bay

Travis Snider has noted that he is still making some adjustments in the batter’s box. Mechanical adjustments. Mental adjustments. The rookie is still going through a learning process.

On Friday at Tropicana Field, manager Cito Gaston shared some more specifics as to what exactly Snider is working on. Swing-wise, Snider is working on a better weight transfer. Approach-wise, the rook has shown more of a willingness to discuss situations with his coaches during games.

“He’s still working,” Gaston said. “There’s still a lot of work to do with him. [Hitting coach Gene Tenace has] got him not so spread out. We’re trying to get him a little bit more upright and trying to get him to start his weight on the back side, as opposed to starting on the front side and shifting back.”

“It’s still an ongoing project with him to get him started on time. He talks to us more on the bench now than he did before he [was sent to Triple-A in May]. He talks about situations more, which he was having a little trouble with that last time. But, now he will talk to you about it. He’s trying to learn how to handle that.”

Gaston said he is hoping Snider can learn how to take in-game suggestions and apply them to his following plate appearances, rather than feel overloaded with information when he walks to the plate. Gaston pointed to Adam Lind, who has shown an ability to take tips from his coaches during a game and make the proper adjustments quickly.

Since being recalled from the Minors last month, the 21-year-old Snider has struggled for the most part. Over his last three games, he does have five hits, two homers and a .385 average, but in the 27 games prior to that, Snider hit .195. On the current road trip, Snider has struck out 11 times in 22 at-bats.

UPDATES: Scott Downs (right hamstring) and Brian Tallet (right foot) are day-to-day after suffering injuries on Wednesday night in New York. Gaston wasn’t ready to say Downs might be done for the year, and maybe that has something to do with the fact that Toronto has no lefties in the bullpen right now (Jesse Carlson’s suspension lasts through Saturday). Gaston said Tallet is still sore, but he’s trying to get healthy in time for a start on Tuesday. If he can’t go, the Jays would like do the ol’ bullpen-by-committee start. Remember, Marc Rzepczynski and Brett Cecil have been shut down and they were not be used. … Dustin McGowan (right shoulder/left knee) stopped by the Blue Jays’ clubhouse at the Trop on Friday and was all smiles as he walked through and said hello to his teammates. McGowan’s status for next season is essentially unknown.

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